Rotary swing.



G. A. LEWIS.

v ROTARY swme. APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 14, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18,1910. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' C. A. LEWIS.

ROTARY SWING.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 14, 1908.

Patented Jan. 18,1910.

'3 SHEETS-QEHET 2.

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C. A. LEWIS.

ROTARY SWING.

APPLICATION FILED 00114, 1908.

946,639. Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. LEWIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FREDERICK T. LEWIS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

ROTARY SWING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 14, 1908. Serial No. 457,714.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Rotary Swing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rotary swings.

The object of this invention is to provide a swing or plurality of swings adapted to have a common, horizontal, revolving motion, simultaneously with an individual vertical, revolving motion, an inward and outward swinging motion, and a horizontal ro-- tary motion, the swings being suspended in pairs from arms which are centrally pivoted to the outer ends of rotatable shafts, which are supported upon a rotatable housing, means being employed for rotating the shafts on their axes simultaneously with the rotation of the housing on its axis, the plane of the axes of the shafts and housing being at right angles. Further, to provide a device for pleasure resorts, consisting of a plurality of swings arranged in pairs upon centrally pivoted arms and adapted to have one common revolving motion and three motions apart from the general revolving motion, but simultaneously therewith; power being employed for causing the general revolving motion through which the other motions are accomplished. These objects are accomplished by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1, is a perspective view, showing the general arrangement of the improved rotary swing. Fig. 2, is a horizontal view partly in section through the rotatable housing which supports the rotatable shafts carrying the pivoted arms from which the cars are suspended and showing the bevel pinions on the inner ends of said shafts, which engage a stationary horizontal bevel gear. Fig. 3, is a vertical sectional view through the rotatable housing, showing the stationary shaft to which the bevel gear is rigidly secured together with the manner of rotating the housing. Fig. 4, is a horizontal sectional view on the line H of Fig. 3. Fig. 5, is a view partly in section showing the construction of one of the ends of one of the pivoted arms from which the swings are suspended.

Referring to the accompanying draw ings2-The numeral 1, designates a vertical, stationary standard or shaft, which forms the main support for the various parts constituting the improved rotary swing. The

standard is supported and held in a vertical position by legs or supports 2, which at their lower ends are securely attached to a suitable base or foundation, their upper ends being converged toward one another and securely bolted to a platform 3, which is preferably a metal casting, having a central hub through which the upright 1, passes, a shoulder 4%, being formed on the shaft at this point, upon which the platform rests.

A hub 5, is formed around the central hole 7 of the platform, which is keyed or otherwise rigidly attached to the shaft and in the upper end of the hub, a ball race 6, is formed in which anti-friction bearing balls are placed. The standard extends a suitable distance above the platform, and this extended portion is surrounded by a sleeve 7, the lower end of which is formed with a flange 8, having a circular channel 9, concentric with and of the same diameter as the ball race. The sleeve rests upon the balls, which extend into the channel 9, and a cylindrical housing 10 is secured upon the upper end of the sleeve. The standard extends a slight distance into the housing 10 integral with or are secured to the housing 10, and in each of these arms is journaled a shaft 13, upon the inner ends of which are keyed or otherwise secured bevel pinions 14, which mesh with the stationary bevel gear wheel 11. Upon the platform 3, is bolted an electric motor 15, the shaft of which carries a worm pinion 16, which engages a worm gear 17, which is rigidly secured adjacent to the lower end of the sleeve 7 and when power is communicated to the worm gear 17, by the motor drivenworm pinions the sleeve 7 and housing 10 will be rotated upon the standard 1, and the bevel pinions 14, as they travel around the stationary bevel gear 11, will be rotated, as will also the shafts 13, to which they are attached.

The housing is closed by a cover 18, which may be bolted thereto, and the housing is provided with depending lugs 19, having semi-circular bearing recesses in their ends which rest upon the inner ends of the shaft 13, and form an auxiliary means of holding the pinions 14, in continuous engagement with the gear 11. Three shaft supporting arms 12, are preferably employed and the shafts 1 extend a short distance beyond the outer ends of these arms and are each bifurcated to receive an arm 20, which is centrally pivoted within the said bifurcation. These arms are rotated by the shafts 13, as they turn on their axes and have also a rocking motion on their pivots 21., as will be more fully shown hereinafter. The ends of the arms 20 are bent outward to form spindles 22, which stand at right angles to the arms. Upon these bent ends, adjacent to their connection with the arms 20, are rigidly secured disks 23, and upon the spindles 22, are rotatably mounted sleeves 2st, having depending integral spindles The spindles 22, terminate in threaded ends 26, upon which nuts 27 are screwed to hold the sleeves 2a in place, washers 28 being interposed between the nuts and the adjacent ends of the sleeves. Upon the spindles 25 of the sleeves 2%, are rotatably mounted friction rollers or wheels 29, which are arranged to engage the disks 23. These wheels 29 have hubs 30 through which the spindles 25 pass and the ends of the spindles are threaded to receive nuts 31, which hold the wheels 29 upon their spindles, washers 32, belng interposed between the nuts and the adjacent ends of the hub 30. Rings 33 are formed upon or secured to the lower ends of the hubs 30, and movable rings 34 are hung upon the rings 33. A car 35 of any preferred style is suspended from each ring 34; by four rods 36, which are attached to the cars as shown.

A collar 37 is adjustably secured upon the outer ends of each shaft 13, between the arm 20 and the end of the shaft supporting arm 12, and coil springs 38, are confined upon the shafts between the collars 237 and the arms 20, so that as the arms 20 rock upon their pivots, as they rotate with the shafts 18, the tension exerted upon them by the springs 38, will prevent abrupt movement, or the sudden inward and outward swing, which would otherwise occur. The arms 12, are braced by suitable brackets 39, which extend to and are secured to the sleeve 7.

In operation, power from the motor is transmitted to the worm gear 17 by the worm pinion 16, and the worm gear is rotated, carrying with it the sleeve 7 to which the said gear is rigidly secured, and also the housing 10, which is rigidly secured upon the upper end of the sleeve. As the housing rotates on its axis the bevel pinions 14-, engaging the stationary bevel gear 11, are revolved in a horizontal plane with the housings and these pinions and the shafts to which they are secured, are also rotated on their axes in a plane at right angles to the plane of rotation of the housing. The axial movement or rotation of the shafts is imparted to the pivoted arms 20, and as they rotate the combined forces of gravity and centrifugal action will cause them to incline at an angle other than. a right angle to the axis of their shafts and the relative positions of the opposite ends of each arm remain practically the same while the arms are approaching a horizontal position. But as the arms pass out of a horizontal position they swing on their pivots, thus reversing the position of their ends as shown in dotted line in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the arms 20, have a common horizontal revolution around the standard 1, a rotation in a plane at right angles to that of the horizontal revolution and a rocking or swinging motion on, their pivots. The cars which are suspended from these arms, likewise, have all of these motions, but they have, besides, individual rotary motions in a horizontal plane, simultaneously with the three other motions, and this latter motion is produced in the following manner As the arms 20 rotate, the cars 35 will always depend vertically from the rings 33 and by reason of the rotation of the sleeves 24 upon the spindles 22. These sleeves are formed with the spindles 25, which carry the friction wheels 29, and the contact of these wheels with the stationary disks 23, cause the wheels to revolve upon the spindle imparting to the cars a rotary motion in a horizontal plane.

Having described this invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rotary swing, the combination with a vertical standard of a bearing support rotatably mounted on said standard, shafts rotatably mounted in said bearing support at right angles to the standard; means for rotating the support with the shafts and means for imparting axial rotation to the shafts as they revolve with the support arms which are pivoted to the outer ends of the shafts: swivel devices on the ends of the arms and cars suspended from said swivel devices.

2. In a rotary swing, a plurality of shafts adapted to be revolved in a horizontal plane; said shafts radiating from a common center; means for rotating said shafts as they revolve in a horizontal plane; arms pivotally mounted upon the outer ends of the shafts; swivel devices on the ends of said arms and cars suspended from the swivel devices.

3. In a rotary swing, a support adapted to be revolved in a horizontal plane; a plurality of radially disposed shafts mounted upon said support and means for rotating said shafts as they revolve in a horizontal plane; centrally pivoted arms mounted upon the outer ends of the shafts; spindles at the extremities of the arms and at right angles thereto, swivel devices mounted upon the spindles and cars suspended from the swivel devices.

4. In a rotary swing, a vertical standard, a support mounted on the standard and adapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane; a stationary bevel gear wheel on the standard; a plurality of radially disposed shafts rotatably mounted upon the support, having rigidly mounted bevel pinions in mesh with the stationary gear; centrally pivoted arms on the outer ends of the shafts; spindles at the extremities of the arms and at right angles thereto; swivel devices upon said spindles and cars suspended from the swivel devices.

5. In a rotary swing a vertical standard; a housing mounted on the standard and adapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane; a plurality of radially disposed supports upon the housing and shafts rotatably mounted in said supports; a stationary bevel gear wheel mounted on the standard within the housing; bevel pinions rigidly mounted upon the inner ends of the shafts in mesh with the stationary bevel gear wheel; centrally pivoted arms on the outer ends of the shafts having spindles at their extremities at right angles to the arms; swivel devices on the spindles, cars suspended from the swivel devices and means for imparting to each car an individual rotary motion in a horizontal plane.

6. In a rotary swing the combination of a stationary vertical standard, a sleeve rotatably mounted on the upper portion of the standard and means for rotating the same; a housing on the sleeve; a plurality of ra dially disposed hollow arms upon the housing; shafts rotatably mounted in the hollow arms and bevel pinions rigidly secured upon the inner ends of the shafts; a stationary bevel gear wheel upon the standard and within the housing with which the bevel pinions mesh, centrally pivoted arms on the outer ends of the shafts having spindles at their ends at right angles to the arms; circular plates rigidly secured upon the spindles; swivel devices on the spindles, having circular plates in contact with the plates upon the spindles, the planes of their axes being at right angles and cars suspended from the swivel devices.

7. In a rotary swing, the combination with sleey e and shafts in said supports, which are adapted to rotate as the shafts revolve in a horizontal plane, arms pivoted to the outer ends of the shafts, having spindles on their ends at right angles to the arms; swivel devices on the spindles; cars suspended from the swivel devices and means for imparting to each car, an individual rotary motion in a horizontal plane.

8. In a rotary swing the combination with a vertical standard of a plurality of radial shafts supported upon the standard and adapted to have a common revolving motion upon the standard in a horizontal plane and individual axial rotations, simultaneously with the common horizontal revolution; arms pivoted upon the outer ends of the shafts; spindles upon the ends of the arms; swivel devices upon the spindles; cars sus pended from the swivel devices and means for imparting to each car an individual rotation in a horizontal plane.

9. In a rotary swing the combination with a shaft adapted to be revolved in a horizontal plane around a pivotal center and to have an axial rotation simultaneously therewith of centrally pivoted arm on the outer end of said shafts having rotary motions in common with the shaft and a rocking motion on its pivot; spindles on the ends of the arm; swivel devices on the spindles; disks rotatably mounted on the swivel devices; rigid circular plates on the spindles in frictional engagement with the disks; rods depending from the swivel devices and cars attached to the lower ends of the rods.

10. In a rotary swing the combination with a standard, a bevel gear rigidly mounted on the standard, a support adapted to be rotated in a horizontal plane on said standard, radial shafts mounted on said support, having rigidly attached bevel pinions in mesh with the stationary bevel gear wheel, arms pivot-ally attached midway of their ends to the outer ends of the shaft, adjustable collars on the shafts adjacent to the pivots of the arms and cushioning means interposed between the arms and the collars, spindles on the ends of the arms, swivel devices upon the spindles and cars suspended from the swivel devices.

11. In a rotary swing the combination with a plurality of shafts, which radiate from and are adapted to revolve around a pivotal point in a horizontal plane, means being employed for imparting an individual axial rotation to each shaftas it revolves in a horizontal plane of arms centrally pivoted to the outer ends of said shafts so as to have individual swinging motions as they rotate with the axial rotation of the shafts, means for cushioning the rocking movement of the arms, spindles on the ends of the arms at rightangles to said arms, swivel devices on 10 the spindles, rigid disks on the spindles,

Wheels on the swivel devices in frictional engagement with the rigid disks and ears suspended from the swivel devices.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES A. LEWIS.

Witnesses Gr. SARGEKT ELLIOTT, A-oN-Es MCNAIR. 

